In October, 2009, I had the
opportunity to testify in front of the US Senate Subcommittee
on Public Lands and Forests about Senate Bill 881, the Sealaska
land transfer bill. Senators Murkowski and Begich were there,
as were other members of the committee. This makes me the only
person from Prince of Wales Island to have had an opportunity
to speak directly to the decision makers in an official setting.
This is not fair to those who wish to express their own opinions
about this legislation.

I did not intend to speak for
all of the interested people on POW, and indeed that would have
been impossible. The Craig City Council recently called for a
formal field hearing on Prince of Wales so the opinions and attitudes
of the people most directly impacted by the legislation could
be heard by the Senators who will be making a decision that will
change the face of Southeast Alaska. This call was echoed by
Petersburg as well as numerous private citizens who want their
voices heard.

Senator Murkowski herself suggested
a field hearing on POW in an interview, but has not followed
through. Instead of a formal hearing that would allow citizens
to express their opinions directly to their elected Senators,
a staffer, Mr. Kleeschulte, intends to come to Prince of Wales
and take recorded testimony in a town hall style meeting. Although
courteous to opponents of the bill, Mr. Kleeschulte has long
been an advocate for this legislation, working closely with Sealaska
lobbyists to push this bill through.

Speaking to a tape recorder
and having your message conveyed through a biased intermediary
is not the same as a hearing in front of the decision makers
of the committee itself. Although I did the best I could to
represent a range of opinion when I testified, it is impossible
for one person to capture the breadth and depth of opposition
to this bill on Prince of Wales Island. I call on the Senators
of the committee, and especially Senator Murkowski, to come hear
for themselves from the people.